Microsoft singles out Kansas City in privacy campaign

New Microsoft Corp. ads running in Kansas City don't actually mention Google Inc., but in the place where Google launched its ultra-fast fiber broadband network, the campaign appears to be drawing a contrast between the two companies.

The Kansas City Star reports Microsoft's ads, running only in Kansas City and Washington, D.C., suggest the company is a partner in protecting your online privacy.

Microsoft's Internet Explorer browser competes with Google's Chrome, and while both have similar privacy settings, they're easier to find and turn on in the new version of Internet Explorer. Google, meanwhile, makes most of its money by targeting ads at consumers based on past online behavior.

Microsoft says its decision to run ads in Kansas City was a coincidence, and that it had nothing to do with Google's growing presence there.